


Qrow's Lucky Charm

by Meepigiri



Category: RWBY
Genre: Accidental Kissing, Atlas parties, Bumbleby is highly implied, But she just wants her uncle to be happy, Clover is so gay, Dancing, Elm is the supportive mom friend, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Poker, Qrow also sucks at poker, Qrow is a bicon, Qrow is a gay puppy, Qrow's semblance decides to play wingman, Yang is a little shit, blake is tired of yang's shit, clover is not, cuddling? probably, he can thank his semblance for that, lots of fluff, please let them be happy together they deserve it, qrow is shit at dancing, ruby is also a little shit, spoilers for Volumes 6 and 7, they're the disaster lesbians, this takes place pre Volume 7 Ch 7, weiss exists sometimes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:27:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22025539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meepigiri/pseuds/Meepigiri
Summary: Qrow wasn't exactly sure how he managed to fuck up so royally. Clover had held his hand up for a high-five, and the next thing he knew, he was locking lips with the leader of the ace ops. After a week of tension and silence, Yang decides to step in.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 29
Kudos: 218





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I binged volume 6 and what was released of volume 7 in one night, and naturally after seeing their interactions I had to write a stupid gay fic about them. This was intended to be a one shot but I wrote more than I anticipated so whoops! Chapter two should be coming within the next few days!

Grimm were attacking Mantle. 

It wasn’t uncommon these days, with the constant chaos going on- ever since Robyn lost the election, there had been riots nearly daily. Naturally, the commotion attracted Grimm. All. The. Time.

It made things worse that the defender of Mantle herself- Penny Polendina- wasn’t able to help. She tried to the first few times, but with most of the city against her, it was too dangerous. This meant that people like Qrow were forced to get rid of these pesky creatures. 

Today he was fighting with the two disaster lesbians- Blake and Yang- and the lucky charm himself, Clover. He found himself often going on missions with the Alpha, who insisted that it made the most sense considering their semblances. Qrow called bullshit but he wasn’t about to complain. His company wasn’t _completely_ awful, afterall. 

But it was today that his semblance decided to royally fuck him over. 

Not in the obvious way, of course. He wasn’t injured. He wasn’t stabbed, or poisoned, or eaten alive by a giant Nevermore. Instead, it implemented itself in subtler ways. The way he would just barely miss his strike on a grimm, or the way that he took a few moments longer than everyone else to regain his balance. 

Or worse yet, the way he somehow managed to trip over his own damn feet and straight into Clover. 

Qrow wasn’t sure how the fuck he managed that. Clover had simply raised his hand for a high-five, and the next thing he knew, he was locking lips with the leader of the Ace Ops.

And the worst part? He didn’t pull away. 

In fact, Clover had done the complete opposite. He seemed to _enjoy_ it. The way that he had pulled Qrow closer to him, and the way that he kissed back with such enthusiasm… 

And now, Qrow was sitting on his bed with his burning face buried in his hands, his niece sitting next to him laughing like she had never seen anything so funny. If he wasn’t so preoccupied with trying to calm himself down, he would have literally kicked her out. 

“I’ve got to give you credit, Qrow. It happened a lot sooner than we expected.”

“...What?” 

He looked up at Yang, giving her a deeply confused look. “What do you mean _we?_ ” Had they been talking about him? About him and _Clover_? 

“Well…the rest of us might have been making bets on it…” 

“ _Bets?!_ ”

“Oh yeah. Blake and Weiss were convinced that it wouldn’t happen for at least another three months. Ruby, Nora and I were betting on it happening sooner but… not _this_ soon. But hey! I still won, so-”

“Are you fucking serious?” 

“Afraid so,” Yang leaned back with a smug grin on her face. “Everyone noticed it, you know. You guys have unbelievable chemistry. And everyone sees the way you guys look at eachother.” 

Qrow rolled his eyes. “No, we do _not_ have ‘unbelievable chemistry’.” He scoffed, doing air quotes with his fingers. “And _you_ aren’t going to tell anyone what happened. It was a complete accident-” 

“Ah, yes. An accident.”

“-And it’s not _my_ fault the handsome bastard got so into it.” He argued. He might have a semblance of misfortune, but he didn’t control people like voodoo dolls. Yang gave him a pointed look, and Qrow reddened with the realization of what he just said. “...You did not hear that just now, either.” 

“Sure…” It was Yang’s turn to roll her eyes. “We both know that you liked it too. You’re just in denial. Why are you so afraid of admitting it? It’s not like anyone here cares-” 

“I’m not afraid of admitting _anything_ , firecracker.” Qrow interrupted matter-of-factly. “I didn’t enjoy it, that’s all. And why are you giving me shit? You practically turn into a useless babbling mess around that emo chick-”

“Blake isn’t emo!” Yang sat up straight immediately, her eyes glinting with a certain fire that wasn’t there a moment ago. “She’s incredibly talented, and beautiful, and she’s just _reserved_ , which you would notice if-”

Qrow’s smug look stopped her in her tracks, and she felt her face heat up to a million degrees. She scrunched her nose at him and grabbed the nearest pillow, chucking it at his face. “Yeah, okay, whatever! We’re not here to talk about _my_ love life-”

“-and we’re not going to talk about mine either,” He finished, easily catching the pillow and setting it aside. “Now, if you’re done, would you mind leaving me alone? You’re giving me one hell of a headache.” 

Yang sighed. “Fine, you stupid bird.” She lightly shoved him and begrudgingly got up from her seat on his mattress, walking over to the door. She paused midway out the door, giving him a meaningful look over her shoulder. “But you can’t avoid him forever, you know. You’re going to have to talk to him eventually.” 

She shut the door before he could reply, which was likely for the best. 

_Like hell I can’t avoid him… Avoiding people is what I do best._

_______________________________

“Clover, the fucks up with you?”

Marrow’s voice snapped Clover out of his thoughts, and he realized he failed to pay attention for the millionth time this training session. He gave an apologetic look to his teammate. “Sorry...My head just isn’t here today. Maybe we should call it quits.” 

The faunus grunted in agreement, but didn’t move from his spot. His tail swayed slowly behind him in anticipation. “Your head hasn’t been here for days! Seriously, what’s wrong with you? I haven’t seen you so distracted in ages.”

“It’s nothing you have to worry about. A lot has been happening lately,” Clover gave a flimsy excuse, putting Kingfisher back on his belt, and exiting the training room. “You know how it is now. Tensions are higher than ever with Mantle, and we’re fighting Grimm down there almost every day...And who knows what’s going to happen to Ironwood now that he’s being painted as a criminal.” He shook his head. “Just what kind of enemy did Ironwood make? And what is their goal?” 

“You can say that again,” Marrow scoffed, following him out. He matched the other’s pace as they walked down the corridor, despite it practically being that of a snail’s. He tapped his fingers on his leg impatiently, but otherwise showed no sign that he minded. “But you never let shit like that distract you so much before. I get things are harder than they’ve ever been, but... Are you sure that’s all that happened?” he narrowed his eyes, and his tail suddenly stopped moving. “You know, you’ve been like this ever since you came back from that mission… say, does it have anything to do with-”

“No, it doesn’t.” Clover interrupted him. “It’s just a lot of stress. God knows I could use a day off.” He ran a hand through his hair, tugging gently as he did so. The last thing he wanted was a day off. If he wasn’t doing anything, it meant he had more time to think, and he wasn’t exactly sure if he wanted to let himself think right now. 

“You know we can’t afford to do that.” 

“I know…” He sighed, looking away. He wanted to know what was going on with Ironwood. Who was framing him, and why? They clearly wanted Ironwood out of the picture, but what for? What are they trying to achieve…? And now Penny was being framed for a massacre...it seemed like whoever was behind this was trying to get a reaction out of the people of Mantle. A strong reaction.

Although, what was eating at him the most was Qrow. He couldn’t stop thinking about what happened…he himself wasn’t even completely sure what that even was. While he never pegged the man to be so bold, he didn’t question it in the moment, but has since realized that it hadn’t been Qrow’s intention. Of course he wouldn’t do such a thing, especially in the streets of Mantle, where anyone could have seen them. If he had felt any kind of way at all, he would have admitted so hesitantly, in private, probably over a game of poker. Clover mentally beat himself up for letting himself get so caught up in the moment. 

The two of them had been slowly getting closer to one another, and he himself had only realized a week or two ago what exactly his feelings towards Qrow were. He had played that sort of scenario in his head repeatedly, but never had he wished that it would have happened like this. Instead, Qrow had looked at him with a mixture of what Clover had interpreted to be disgust and confusion; he didn’t even say anything to him afterwards, and needless to say, the trip back to Atlas was dreadful. 

Clover had tried contacting him multiple times via text, but even after a week, he received no reply or indication that he even read them. Was he _that_ disgusted with him? Did he fuck up that badly? Or maybe Qrow had never been interested in him at all? 

“Cloooover?”

Marrow was waving a hand in front of his face, trying to get his attention. He had an annoyed expression, making it clear that he was five seconds away from walking off without him. “Come on! I’m not going to babysit you all day!”

“Ah- Sorry. What did you say?”

“I was _saying_ that we should go to the mission board right about now, don’t you think?” Marrow glared at him, tapping his wrist as if to say, _we don’t have time for you to be a mess._ “Everyone’s probably waiting on us already.”

“Right.” Clover nodded. “Let’s go.” 

_______________________________

Qrow walked around boredly, listening to the snow crunch beneath his shoes. He and Blake had been tasked with simply...standing at the construction site of Amity Tower. Ironwood was apparently paranoid that Robyn may attack the site or attempt to mess with it somehow, with the recent riots and crimes being committed in Mantle. Nothing of the sort had happened in weeks, but they were sent out there nonetheless. He wasn’t sure whether he liked being out here or not. For one, the cold, barren tundra was not his kind of environment. He preferred something a bit warmer, and with a lot more trees, where he could disappear into the shadows easily. Here, the sun glared into his face, and there was nowhere he could quickly go to hide. He was so out there, in the open, and it made him feel uneasy. He hated to admit it, but he felt safer at Atlas. He could at least use the buildings to his advantage there.

It was easy work, but at the same time, he was restless. He wanted to actually do something, not just stand around and look threatening. He was a huntsman, not a scarecrow!

He and Blake walked around the perimeter in comfortable silence. He made sure that he went on a mission with her, simply because she didn’t talk to him. And there was also the point that if he hadn’t insisted on going on this mission, he would have been forced to work with Clover, and that wasn’t happening. Yang had protested, but Qrow couldn’t care less.

“You really _are_ depressed.”

Ah, fuck. He had spoken too soon. 

“What’s it to you?” He questioned. “I didn’t think you cared about my troubles.” 

Blake seemed to be taken aback for a moment. “That’s not true,” she said quietly. “I do care. You’re just hard to approach.” 

Qrow felt a twinge in his chest. Maybe he had been too harsh with her. Of course she cared- they had been working together for months. Team RWBY had been through a ton of shit in the last year- naturally they hadn’t had a lot of time for one on one conversation, especially considering their more reserved personalities. “Right…” 

“That, and…” She trailed off, choosing her words carefully. “Yang won’t stop talking about you. She’s really worried about you, and rightfully so, I think. You haven’t been yourself lately.” 

He scoffed. “You don’t know me-”

“You’re right. I don’t.” She admitted. “But Yang does, and I trust her judgement. I’m not trying to butt into your business, but…you should talk to him.” She looked away, and it was obvious there was something else she wasn’t sharing. 

“What is it, brat cat?”

Blake glared at him for the nickname, her ears flattening to her hair. “I am not-”

“Yeah, yeah, just fuckin’ tell me already.” 

She sighed, giving in to his demands. “I’ve been noticing that Clover has been off too, although it’s a lot more obvious in his case than it is yours… He seems very distracted. I asked Marrow about it and he nearly talked my ears off about it!”

“Since when do you talk to Marrow?” He raised an eyebrow. He didn’t think she was exactly buddy buddy with any of the ace ops, or necessarily into their whole elite thing. Then again, neither was he, and yet...

“We don’t talk often.” Blake clarified. “But it’s nice to talk to another faunus sometimes. There’s not a lot of them in Atlas, if you haven’t noticed, and Neon…” She didn’t have to finish her sentence for Qrow to get what she was saying. Blake and Neon? Being friends? Talking regularly? As if. 

“That isn’t the point though.” She steered their conversation back on track. “You’re not the only one hurting here. Clover is suffering too.” 

Admittedly, Qrow already knew this. As much as he hated it, he couldn’t stop staring at the Ace Ops leader when he was around him, and had caught his eye quite a few times. He _did_ seem rather off lately- he wasn’t himself, although Qrow hadn’t known that everyone else was noticing it too. 

“There must be something else, then.” He reasoned, putting a hand behind his head. “Surely he isn’t so fucked up because of…” he trailed off. She already knew what he was getting at, so there wasn’t a need to finish. “We’ve only known each other for a few months. He can’t be that attached.” 

Blake nodded, accepting that it was definitely a possibility. Although the look on her face made it obvious that she doubted that was the case. She didn’t press him any further, but eventually the silence drove him mad. 

“Does anyone else know?” 

She quirked an eyebrow at him in confusion. “About what?”

“...What happened, uh, on that mission…”

“No,” She responded immediately. “Neither of us have talked to anyone about it, not even Clover. Although Yang has been extremely tempted to talk to him herself…And we don’t know if anyone in public saw... but since there hasn’t been any word of it, I’d think you’re fine.” she shook her head. “I hope Yang stays out of it. It’s not her business, and it isn’t her relationship to meddle with. If you don’t want to talk to him, you don’t have to.” she looked up at him with an apologetic glance. “I didn’t mean to pressure you. I think you should hear him out but… ultimately, it’s your choice, and nobody else can make that for you. I respect your decision whatever it may be...and I trust you to make the right call.” 

Qrow nodded, and stayed silent for a few minutes, before speaking. “Uh...thank you. For that. And not telling people, I guess.” he said awkwardly. He wasn’t exactly great at thanking people. “And...Sorry for assuming you didn’t care.” 

She gave him a small, reassuring smile. “You’re fine. I’ve been in a similar position, more or less. I didn’t take it personally.” she shrugged. “Trusting people isn’t exactly easy, I get it. People suck. Life sucks.” 

Qrow chuckled at that. “A-fucking-men.” 

_______________________________

The next day, Qrow held an invitation in his hands. Another Atlas party, as always. He thought he made it perfectly clear that he never wanted to attend these things, yet the cards were still slipped under his door every time. At this point, he was convinced one of the kids was behind this. 

His suspicions were confirmed when he received a text from Yang:

_Hey! Are you going to the party tonight?_

_You did get the invitation, didn’t you?_

_Unfortunately._

_Sooooo...that’s a “yes Yang I’ll be there”, right?_

_No._

_You really should, you know._

_Get out for once._

_You’ve only been out of your room for missions!_

_Besides, Ruby really wants to see you._

_We all miss you._

Great. Of course she had to guilt trip him into it. Although he had to admit, he set himself up for that one. He hadn’t exactly talked to anyone in the last week save for Yang’s persistent bullying and that one conversation with Blake. He should at least go to make Ruby happy, if nothing else. 

_Fine. I’ll be there._

_I’m not dressing up though._

_Great! Just don’t look like you came out of the dumpster!_

He could manage that. Probably. 

_______________________________

Despite himself, Qrow ended up leaning against a pillar in one of many Atlas’ ballrooms, dressed in some semi-formal suit. He had intended to show up in his usual gear, but something about the idea bothered him, as if he wanted to look good for someone. Which was ridiculous. He wasn’t trying to impress anyone. He was there for his niece, and all he had to do to appease her was throw a cookie her way. 

He examined the scene around him. Multiple mini-chandeliers hung from the ceiling, which must have been a million feet above him. The entire room was decorated in shades of blue, gray and white, making it obvious to anyone with a brain that this was indeed Atlas. There were tables scattered about with an assortment of edibles on them, and waiters walked around offering guests a variety of drinks. Most of the guests themselves were dressed like nobility. He scoffed. He couldn’t imagine spending more than five minutes on his appearance. It was ridiculous to him- it was as if these people thought that a good appearance would hide their shallow personality.

There was a stage on the other end of the room with an assortment of paintings on display. Qrow figured that this must be an auction of some sort. A fundraiser, but for what, he had no idea. He was sure that it was stated on the invitation he received, but he hadn’t looked at it for more than five seconds. Even if he had, he wouldn’t have cared enough to remember any details.

Naturally, alcohol was being served, and he forced himself to be as far as possible from the drinks table. The urge to drink had become stronger over the last week, but he had managed to keep himself sober. He wasn’t about to let some shitty ace ops guy ruin his progress, afterall. 

“UNCLE QROWWW!!” 

Ah. There she was. 

A flurry of red dashed across the ballroom, and practically tackled him to the ground. Ruby grinned up at him as she clung to his arm, looking as if Christmas had come early. He rolled his eyes. Even in such a formal setting, she was as childish as always. He reached up with his free arm and playfully ruffled her hair. “Hey.” 

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” She demanded immediately, letting go of his arm and taking a step back. Now that Qrow was able to get a proper look at her, he noted that she was wearing a frilly red dress. Fancy, but simple. “Well, okay, I know where you’ve been, and I’ve seen you going on missions n stuff, BUT WHY HAVEN’T YOU BEEN TALKING TO ME! I’ve been so SAD and LONELY without you,” she exaggerated, giving him sad puppy dog eyes and a pouty lip. 

“Oh, shush.” He scoffed and lightly shoved her face away. His tone was annoyed, but his expression was playful. He couldn’t help but crack a smile at the sight of Ruby; she was a literal ball of sunshine. “It’s only been a week. I haven’t been in much of a socializing mood, that’s all. You’re lucky I decided to show up to this stuffy place.” 

“Well… fine! You’ve been forgiven!” Ruby declared in an authoritative tone after about 0.2 seconds of consideration. She glanced around the room, as if searching for something, before her gaze settled on Qrow again. “Aaaanywayyy…. Have you seen the snack table? Or I suppose, what’s left of it. Ren had to stop Nora from going crazy, but they have some pretty delicious sweets do I say so myself.” She babbled, not really giving him much of a choice as she grabbed his arm and slowly dragged him to the place of interest. As they made their way through the crowd, he spotted a familiar face near their destination, and immediately planted his feet firmly where he was. 

“Ruby, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” 

“Why not?” She tilted her head in confusion. “I mean, look! Clover’s over there! I bet he can help you not have a miserable time here. HEY, CLOVER!” 

Clover looked up at the sound of his name, and Qrow ducked his head immediately. He couldn’t blame his niece- she was completely oblivious of the events that had occurred, surely- but he sure hated her overenthusiasm right now. He should have known better than to show up at this stupid event anyway. Of _course_ Clover was going to be here. Was Yang _trying_ to set them up? 

Oh. That’s exactly what it was. Blake had warned him the day before...Why didn’t he realize what his niece was up to sooner? He narrowed his eyes at Ruby. Was she involved in this too? 

Despite his efforts, Ruby slowly dragged her uncle to the table, and Qrow was forced to look at the man he had avoided for the last week. She continued her chit chatting, making conversation with Clover, but he didn’t pay attention to a single thing she was saying. Finally, Clover looked back at him, and their eyes met briefly. Qrow looked away immediately, not wanting to face the emotion in his eyes. 

“Sooo...anyway...I think I see Weiss! See you later, Uncle Qrow! It was nice talking to you, Clover!” 

For someone who was so _lonely_ and _sad_ without him, she sure was quick to leave, wasn’t she? _She must be involved. Why can't they just mind their own business?_

He stole another glance at Clover to find he was still looking at him, and they both looked away in embarrassment. _Christ. Could this get any worse?_

Unfortunately for him, Clover broke the silence. 

“...Hey.” 

“...Hey.” 

Qrow finally allowed himself to actually look at Clover. Of course he was dressed up for the occasion, but he looked as willing to dress up as Qrow was. It was some mix of formality and his regular clothes, but somehow he made it work. Although he was more drawn to his eyes- a deep, green pool of emotion that he hated looking into, but couldn’t help staring at anyway. Why did he have to look so perfect all the time? He could at least _look_ like he’d been extremely off for the last week. Instead, he was standing here looking so ridiculously handsome-

God, what was he _thinking?!_

“Would you like to dance?” 

“ _What_?” 

Qrow couldn’t help himself as the question slipped out of him, sounding a lot harsher than he had intended. He definitely hadn’t expected to be asked that, of all things. He was expecting him to ask for an explanation. He expected Clover to apologize, like the idiot he was, as if any of this was his fault. But he wasn’t. Not yet. He stared at Clover’s extended hand- an invitation that he could so easily accept. Instead, he glared at him. “I don’t exactly dance-” 

“That’s fine.” The ace operative said dismissively. “Lucky for you, I do. You can follow my lead.” He gave one of his winks, and Qrow hated it more than anything. He hated it so, so much. Why was Clover was still able to be so confident and charming? Why was he the only one struggling to come up with things to say? 

And why on earth did he take Clover’s hand?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow and Clover play poker, and they do a bit more than just talk. Also, Qrow sucks at dancing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyy it's finally here and only like three days late. I pulled two and a half all-nighters for this and it still took forever. Anyway, hope it's worth the wait!

“What are you trying to do, Cloves?” 

Qrow eyed the dancefloor suspiciously. Of course a slow song had come on as they neared it. Was this all planned or something? It wouldn’t surprise him if Yang, Ruby, and Clover were working together. He looked towards the source of the music as if expecting Yang herself to be the DJ. He saw no such thing, but he could’ve sworn he saw her iconic blonde hair poke out from a nearby crowd. 

“Dance with you,” Clover replied innocently, knowing full well that wasn’t what Qrow had meant. “It’s a shame you’re not much of a dancer, but… I think I can fix that.” 

“I don’t need fixing,” Qrow replied defensively. The ace op held up his free hand and looked at him in alarm. 

“I didn’t mean it that way.” He apologized. “I think you’re quite charming as is, but learning a dance never hurt anyone. Perhaps then you’ll finally be able to flirt properly.” 

“Is that a challenge?” 

“Might be.” Clover winked, and Qrow rolled his eyes in response. “It’s not like I’ve ever seen you with someone before.” 

“And? I’ve never seen you with women either.”

“And you never will,” Clover affirmed with a small shrug. “Not my cup of tea, if we’re being honest. Men are _much_ more to my liking.” 

Qrow blinked at him. The possibility that Clover was gay never occurred to him. He definitely wasn’t straight, that much he had been sure of. Although... this information gave him the _perfect_ opportunity to mock him. “Your loss. Imagine limiting yourself to only one...couldn’t be me.” 

“Oh?” Clover’s eyes lit up, giving the man in front of him a playful smile. “And yet you still remain as single as ever. At least _I_ have an excuse, with half of the pool you do.” 

“I have yet to meet someone who’s up to my standards. Although I’ve gotta say, Atlas sure has a lot of eye candy.” Qrow’s eyes traveled down Clover’s body before meeting with the ace operative’s eyes again, a playful smirk drawing at his lips. Clover batted his eyelashes at him in response to the attention, causing Qrow to let out a laugh and push his face away.

“And even if someone did,” Qrow continued, lightly tapping Clover on the nose, “I don’t get involved with people, pretty boy. Not with this semblance of mine.” He gestured vaguely to himself with his free hand. “I find things are easier that way.” 

“Well I think that’s a shame.”

Qrow stared at him, quirking an eyebrow in confusion. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to come up with some snarky response, but he had nothing. He must have misheard him. Clover didn’t dwell on the topic and instead brought his attention to the party once again, gesturing to the scene in front of them.

“This is the Atlesian Waltz. Winter taught me it some time ago, and let me tell you, you don’t know how extensive her vocabulary is until you’ve stepped on her feet.” Clover informed, drawing another laugh out of Qrow. “You oughta be glad I’m the one teaching you.” 

“I don’t think I’d bother with it if you weren’t. Out of all the atlas elites, I’d say you’re one of the more tolerable ones.” 

“What a compliment,” Clover chuckled. Qrow’s gaze shifted to the other pairs on the dance floor. They moved so flawlessly, and he suddenly felt uneasy. There was no way he could do that. He was going to end up making a fool of himself _and_ Clover. 

“Hey,” The ace operative picked up on his anxiety and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “It’ll be fine. It’s nowhere near as complicated as it looks, once you get the hang of it. All you have to do is follow my lead.” He assured. He lightly grasped Qrow’s free hand and guided it up to his shoulder, quickly letting go and settling his hand on Qrow’s waist. “Then, shall we?” 

Qrow’s body stiffened at the contact. He didn’t remember the last time he was so close to someone. Intimacy was something he seeked to avoid, and dancing had been out of the question until two minutes ago. Dancing was never his thing, and his semblance was sure to ruin any attempt he made anyway. “Maybe. If you think your feet can handle it. I’ll have you know, I don’t tread lightly.” 

“Trust me, I know.” Clover chuckled, slowly beginning to move and allowing for Qrow to adjust. He couldn’t count the number of times he had woken up because of Qrow stomping the halls at 3AM. As his late night strolls became a nightly occurrence, Clover found it better to simply join him instead of spending hours trying to fall back asleep. They made a routine of it, and he quickly got used to only getting five hours of sleep and waking up at 3AM. But even with less rest, Clover found that he was more lively than ever; Qrow gave him all the energy he needed. 

Those familiar nights had been the thing he missed the most, not counting Qrow himself. They had been the best nights he had in _years_. 

He remembered the first night. 

Clover had found him sitting on the roof of Atlas Academy, gazing at the starry sky with his legs dangling off the edge as if he was mere moments away from taking off. The ace operative had initially only watched from a distance, but Qrow had glanced back and caught him red-handed.

“Well, what do we have here?” The raven haired man smirked. “My own secret admirer?” 

“Ah, I…” Clover trailed off, unsure of how to explain himself. “Not quite. You woke me up with those elephant feet of yours, and I figured I’d investigate. Make sure that you weren’t doing anything stupid.” 

“I don’t think you can prevent that, Cloves.” He chuckled in spite of himself. His eyes flickered across Clover’s body, as if determining his worth. “Well. Don’t just stand there, boy scout.” He patted the spot beside him; an invitation that Clover was quick to accept. The two sat there for the remainder of the night in comfortable silence. Nothing needed to be said; the two had a mutual understanding. 

Just like that, it had become an unspoken tradition between the two. Eventually Qrow had confided in him that this was the best part of his days. There was nothing to worry about up there. There was no monster to slay, no teenagers to look after, no stuffy atlas officials. No orders. No missions.

There was nobody he could hurt with his semblance. 

It was his one escape from everything. The cool night air had it’s way of working wonders on Qrow’s mind, soothing his doubts, his worries, his fears. He came out every night, not bothered by any amount of cold or rain. Countless times, Clover had caught him out there, completely drenched. He never encouraged him to come inside, but rather sat beside him and shared an umbrella. 

Every night for the last week, Clover had waited for a man that never came. It wasn’t the same without his companion; the quiet had brought a sense of dread rather than comfort. It gave him the perfect opportunity to do nothing but think, but even after hours to himself, he would come back as distracted as before. He had wondered where the other man was. Had he given up his only time to relax? Or did he find someplace new? 

Clover gazed at the man he had waited so patiently for, now in front of him. The look in his eyes revealed that he had been revisiting the same memories. “Qrow…” 

“Fuck, did I step on you again?” Qrow cursed, his gaze shifting downwards, tracking his feet carefully. He must have stepped on him at least a dozen times, but the ace op never gave an indication that it hurt. At this point, Qrow wasn’t sure if he was being kind, or if he just never noticed. “I thought I was gettin’ the hang of it...Sorry-”

He felt Clover’s hand hesitantly leave his waist, moving to Qrow’s face to gently guide it upwards towards his. His hand remained there, and Qrow subconsciously leaned into his touch. His eyes drifted back up to Clover’s, who had an expression that he couldn’t read. The two stared at each other, no longer concerned about the party, or dancing, or anyone else but the one in front of them. Eventually, Clover softly spoke his question: “Where have you been?”

“Uh, I-” Qrow stammered. He had expected a question like this to pop up, but he was still as unprepared as ever to answer it. He averted his eyes once again, although Clover’s hand prevented him from lowering his head. “Lots of places. Uh...today I went on a mission-”

“Stop,” Clover interrupted gently. “I know that. I assign what missions you go on, you dolt.” he chuckled. “I _meant_ , what have you been doing with your _nights_?”

“Oh.” Of course he wasn’t asking about the missions. “I…” he stopped. How could he tell him? Telling him could- _would_ \- be like sentencing their friendship to death. “...Sleeping. What else would I be doing?” 

It wasn’t _exactly_ a lie. He had been sleeping, or at least, trying to. The truth was, he hadn’t let himself go on his little midnight strolls. Night after night, the only thing he wanted to do was go up on the roof and sit next to Clover again. But he couldn’t. He wasn’t ready to face what had happened, and he _definitely_ wasn’t ready to see Clover’s face when he told him that he _liked_ it. It had become something of a mental war with himself, and so he had locked himself away in his room, afraid that if he dared step out, he wouldn’t have the self control to stay away. 

Clover’s expression told him that he didn’t believe it, and he opened his mouth to protest. Unfortunately for him, the song ended, and they were forced to step away from one another. 

“Do you … want to get out of here?” The ace operative asked slowly, his eyes flickering to the doors. Qrow scoffed; why was that even a question? It was about time they left this place. 

“It’s about time you asked.” 

_______________________________

Qrow tapped his foot impatiently as he watched Clover fumble with the door. Clover had proposed that they go to his room- or his mini-mansion, as Qrow liked to call it- and just...talk over a game of poker. He had agreed, happy to put some distance between himself and the party. 

The idiot had forgotten his keys and was trying to lockpick it with his pin. He had insisted that he had done this before, but it sure didn’t seem that way to Qrow. After a good five minutes, he had enough. He put a hand on his shoulder and gently shoved the ace operative out of the way. “For fucks sake, Cloves. Move over. I’ve got it.”

And thus, Qrow proceeded to kick the door open. 

“Qrow!” Clover yelped as the alarm blared, pushing past him to quickly input the numbers to stop it. “You can’t go doing that. That alarm also notifies us via scroll,” he held up his own, displaying a message in bright red. “I better tell the others what happened before they rush over here.” 

“Well, it got the door open, didn’t it?” Qrow pointed out, inviting himself in and plopping himself on the nearest couch. He propped his legs up on the coffee table, scattering various papers in the process. He would never get used to being in here. All of the ace operatives shared a suite of sorts, and being the most elite forces in Atlas, the apartment showed it. It was always incredibly tidy and well-lit, which if he had to guess, was mostly because of Vine and Clover. The other three didn’t strike him neat-freaks. Despite the fact that it was a bit too neat for his liking, it had a cozy, home-like feeling to it. 

The living room immediately greeted anyone who walked through the door; it was enormous, with two couches and a million different chairs. The kitchen was connected to it, with the only barrier between the two rooms being a long marble-topped counter. To the right of that, there was a long hallway with doors that led to an assortment of rooms, most of them being the ace ops bedrooms. 

Clover shook his head. “I could’ve gotten it myself…” he mumbled, fiddling with his scroll for a few more moments before putting it back in his pocket. He made sure the door was alright before closing it and making his way over to Qrow. He arched an eyebrow at his position. “Qrow.”

The person in question sighed, and reluctantly put his feet back on the floor. 

“Did you plan this?” 

Qrow gave Clover a wary look as he pulled up a chair and sat across from him. The ace operative tilted his head in confusion at the sudden accusation. “Plan what?”

“...This,” He gestured around vaguely. “Tonight. Did Yang talk to you or something? Because everything seems to be awfully convenient and in your favor.” He didn’t bother to hide his suspicion or his annoyance in his tone. _...Everything is always in the bastard’s favor, but that’s besides the point!_

“No, not at all,” Clover answered immediately, making eye contact with Qrow. “I wasn’t aware that you were at the party until Ruby dragged you over, and I definitely didn’t think you would have attended…” he chuckled, and wondered what had prompted the man to go in the first place. “I’m glad things went the way they did, though. You have no idea how much I’ve missed your company.”

Qrow stayed silent, thinking it over, desperately trying to ignore the way his chest fluttered at his words. He eventually let out a small sigh. That was...an adequate response. “Alright… You don’t seem like you’re lying for the most part. Dunno about that last bit though. Why would you miss me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Clover rolled his eyes as if it was common sense. He reached into his pocket to pull out a deck of cards, mindlessly shuffling them as he spoke. “You should give yourself more credit. You’re one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.” He paused to deal. “Besides, if not for you, who else would I beat at poker?”

Qrow scoffed, mildly offended at the reference to his loss streak. “Ah. So you can only win against the guy with bad luck as his semblance, is that it?” he teased, earning an eye-roll from the man in front of him. “...You’re really going to put me in debt one of these days. Hell, if Ironwood didn’t pay well, I’d already be there.”

“Then why not have a game of strip poker?” Clover offered. Qrow knew damn well that the ace operative was just fucking with him, but his face heated up regardless. “Kidding. I’d feel bad if I took more of your money… So why don’t we play with questions instead?” he proposed. “Loser has to answer a question of the winner’s choice with complete honesty.” 

“Not sure I like those terms, Cloves. My chances of success aren’t exactly high.” 

“I suppose it’s a high risk, high reward situation. But isn’t that your style?” Clover’s eyes teased him. Qrow had to admit that it was a tempting offer. It sounded fun in a dangerous sense… and on the rare occasion that _he_ won, he’d be able to ask whatever he pleased. He could think of a few questions that he never had the courage to ask before. 

“Fine. But don’t expect me to go easy on you.” 

The two picked up their hands, and Qrow pretended to look at his own cards while his actual focus was on the man in front of him. Clover’s tell was immediate, found in how long he took to study his hand, and this time it told him that his opponent’s hand wasn’t bad. Qrow took a moment to study the two cards in his own hand. A two of spades, and a king of diamonds. It wasn’t a good sign, but he tried to hold onto the hope that the cards on the board would work in his favor.

Not two minutes later, Qrow was throwing his cards on the table in defeat. 

“Alright, Cloves. Ask your stupid question.” 

“Hm. Let me think about it,” He pretended to consider his options, complete with gestures and everything, before finally speaking. Qrow rolled his eyes at the spectacle. “So. Did you like dancing with me?”

Qrow gave him a look of confusion, taken aback a bit. “Seriously? That’s what you decide to ask?” He narrowed his eyes. If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought that Clover was having mercy and asking easy questions. But he _did_ know better. The bastard was _so_ confident that he’d continue winning that he was willing to throw questions away like that. If he wasn’t so goddamn handsome, Qrow would have hit him. 

“...Yeah. You’re good at it. It’s easy to fuckin’ tell you’re from Atlas, that’s for sure...” He admitted reluctantly, hating the way that Clover seemed so pleased with his answer. “Although I think I should be the one asking you that, considering I was the one who kept fuckin’ up your feet.” 

“You’re welcome to ask when you win.” 

“Oh, I don’t need to do that. All I’d have to do is make a comment about how I suck at dancing for you to drop at my feet and tell me that you had the time of your life.” Clover opened his mouth to argue, but found that he couldn’t. Qrow wasn’t wrong. Rather than admit this, the leader of the Ace Ops chose to momentarily busy himself by shuffling the cards. 

They played a few more games, with Qrow losing every single time, and Clover asking the most trivial questions. The alpha was purposefully taunting him, playing with him, but Qrow couldn’t figure out why. What on earth was he trying to do? 

“How was your day today, Mr. Branwen?”

“Oh my fucking god,” Qrow dropped his face into his hands, letting out a groan. “Quit fuckin’ messing with me! If you’re gonna make us play for this shit, at least make it worthwhile. I would’ve told you how my day was without the theatrics!”

Clover laughed at that. “So impatient. But I guess I’ll have to give into your demands.” The brunette got up from his seat and settled next to Qrow. “Then...tell me… Why have you been avoiding me?” 

Qrow remained silent. He had asked for this, really. He didn’t have anyone to blame but himself. He was the one who agreed to go to the party. He agreed to dance with Clover, and was now seated on his couch by choice. He had been dreading the question all night, coming up with potential answers and excuses. But now that the question had presented itself, he didn’t know what to say. 

“It’s…I…” Qrow began, pausing to think his words over again. He could easily lie, say something about how he just hadn’t had the time to hang out, but he knew Clover wouldn’t have bought it for a moment. “...I didn’t know how to face you after that mission. After…” he trailed off. They both knew what he was referring to. “I fucked up. My semblance finally got to the one thing that I thought might be immune to it.” 

Clover reached over, taking one of Qrow’s hands and giving it a squeeze. “Stop that. You can’t be so hard on yourself.” he gently scolded. “You don’t even know that it was your semblance’s doing. Everyone trips, everyone falls, everyone makes mistakes. Life happens, and that’s not your fault.” 

“But I don’t know that it _wasn’t_ my semblance’s doing.” Qrow argued. “It’s better to just...assume that it was. Take the blame for it.” He didn’t have to look over at Clover to see his frown. It had been his default for years, and as a walking bad luck charm, he got used to it. That was, until he met his counterpart. Clover had slowly been picking him apart and telling him the things that he needed to hear. Things that nobody had ever told him before. 

“...What makes you think it was _your_ semblance?” 

Qrow looked at him, bewildered. Had he heard him correctly? “W..What do you mean? I-” he felt heat rise up to his face. Was Clover saying what he thought he was saying?

“... _My_ semblance could easily have caused it as well. I can’t always control it.” 

“That can’t be possible,” Qrow blurted without thinking. “Your semblance is _good_ luck- surely it wouldn’t have- I mean-” He watched as hurt spelled itself all over Clover’s face for a moment before the ace op corrected it. “Wait, fuck, that’s not what I…” 

“No, I get it.” Clover looked away, putting his free hand behind his head in embarrassment. “It was silly for me to have thought you’d feel the same way.” 

Qrow turned crimson at the confession. He had mildly suspected that Clover had a thing for him, but he had chalked it up to his own wishful thinking. He never thought that it would come true, and especially never expected to be in this situation. He never really had been in this situation before- he made sure that his relationships never made it so far. He couldn’t tie himself to anyone, not with his semblance. And then Clover came along. The one person that he didn’t have to worry about, the one person that he felt _safe_ around. He had hopelessly attached himself to his counterpart, completely infatuated by the idea of being _friends_ with someone who he couldn’t hurt. And here Clover was, telling him that he wanted _more_. 

“I...I don’t know what these feelings are,” Qrow confessed. “I’ve never...I couldn’t let myself feel any sort of way about anyone before. Not like this. Ruby and Yang were supposed to be my exceptions. The only people that I’d let myself care about and be around regardless of what I could do to them… God knows they would have hunted me down if I even tried to separate myself.” He chuckled, sheepishly looking at Clover before looking away again. “But now...you… I’ve never met anyone like you. I don’t have to worry about hurting you...and yet...Somehow, feeling like this…” he glanced at their intertwined hands. “I’ve never been more afraid in my life.” 

Clover nodded, reaching over to grasp both of Qrow’s hands. “You don’t always have to keep those walls up. It’s okay to care. It’s okay to be vulnerable.” he reassured softly. “It’s not easy. I get it. It’s hard to figure out who you can trust, and who you can let yourself be vulnerable with. Especially on this kind of level.” Qrow found himself drawn back to the ace operative’s eyes once again, this time allowing himself to stare. “I’m confident that you’re that person for me. But...If you’re not? If you don’t have anything figured out yet? That’s okay too. I’m willing to wait for you.” 

Clover hesitated a bit before continuing. “I only recently figured it out myself. Over this last week, ironically enough.” he admitted with a small chuckle. “I realized I liked you more than I should before that, but I never wanted to act on it. I had my own fears, too.” 

“Really?” Qrow raised an eyebrow. “Since when are you afraid of anything?”

“I always have been, pretty bird. I’m just better at hiding it.” Qrow didn’t like that. He wanted to ask about it further, but Clover was quick to continue what he was saying. “I… I was afraid that being involved with someone would affect my ability on the battlefield. Especially considering we constantly- or, did- go on missions together. I didn’t want to become a bad leader to my team.” He explained, and Qrow found himself feeling a bit guilty. He had been so caught up in his own worries about his semblance that he didn’t stop to think about whether Clover had fears of his own. “And I’m still concerned about that. I don’t want my personal life to affect my professional life. I can’t let it, especially in times like these. So I tried to convince myself that...maybe spending time away from you was for the best.” 

“But...fuck, it didn’t help at all,” Clover shook his head. “Being away from you was so much worse. I was so distracted...I couldn’t stop thinking about you, how you were doing, _what_ you were doing...Whether you were safe.” He lowered his eyes in shame. “And everyone noticed it too. I worried my team, and hell, even _Winter_ asked if I was okay. And you know how she is...I can’t believe I let my feelings control me so much.” 

Clover stopped himself there. He didn’t want to guilt trip Qrow into being something more than friends, and he definitely didn’t want to influence his decision. He wanted Qrow to be honest with him above everything else. He wanted something _real_ , even if it resulted in heartbreak. “And so...I found that I was vulnerable with you...and that I couldn’t run away from it. It’s something that I have to accept. A risk that I have to take...A risk that I’m _willing_ to take for you.”

“Clover…” Qrow mumbled. He didn’t get it. He didn’t understand how Clover could be so honest, so willing, so... _perfect_ . But most of all, he didn’t understand what Clover saw in him. Why was he so drawn to this recovering alcoholic? To the walking bad luck charm? What about this broken man was so appealing? “I don’t know what I’m feeling. And I don’t know if I’ll _ever_ figure it out, but...I do know that I...I want…” 

Clover felt himself lean towards Qrow as he spoke, his right hand moving to Qrow’s face. Qrow accepted the gesture, leaning into his hand, and just about closing the gap between them. Their lips just barely brushing as Clover breathed out his question: “What do you want?”

Qrow answered with a kiss. It was soft, slow, and held all of the words that he couldn’t bring himself to say. Clover’s eyes fluttered closed and was quick to reciprocate the gesture, and the two remained there, kissing as though they were afraid the other would break if they did anything more. It felt right- it was everything that Clover had imagined their first kiss to be, and then some. It felt... _perfect_. 

It was Qrow who pulled away first, resting his forehead on Clover’s and letting out a shaky breath. “How was that for an answer, boy scout?”

“I don’t know,” the ace operative teased. “I’m not sure if I understood correctly...Maybe we should-” 

Clover was quickly silenced by another kiss, this one much more demanding than the one before it. Hands got lost in brown hair and they pulled one another closer, seemingly unable to get enough contact. One would pull away desperately for air, only for the other to quickly capture their lips yet again. Qrow couldn’t believe that this is what he had been missing out on. He could have been having _this_ , but instead he locked himself away out of confusion and fear. He regretted it immensely in hindsight, but was determined to make up for it now. 

“Qrow,” Clover gasped as the other’s kisses trailed down to his neck, his hands opting to settle on the ace operative’s waist. He winced as Qrow bit a little too harshly, and felt his heart melt when he placed an apologetic kiss on the same spot. 

“Ah-I- Stop,” He tugged gently on Qrow’s hair as the kisses began to travel further down. He pulled away instantly, although his hands remained on his body. His eyes flickered over Clover’s body, making sure he was okay, before giving him a confused look. 

“Do you not like it…?” 

“No, no, that’s not it,” Clover shook his head. His mind was reeling, and his thoughts were jumbled, but he tried his best to put them into words. “I _loved_ it. It was perfect- you’re perfect- but… Should we really be doing this?” he asked cautiously. “If you don’t even know how you feel…” 

Clover had a point. A good point. Hell, they shouldn’t be as close as they are now. They shouldn’t be doing any of this. The last thing Qrow wanted to do was lead Clover on, and yet…with the way that Clover looked at him, he couldn’t help himself. He averted his eyes, a bit embarrassed. “I… You’re right. I’m sorry. I guess I just got carried away.” 

“Don’t be sorry,” Clover reassured, leaning forward to gently meet his lips again. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s been a long time since either of us have done anything like this… We’re used to fighting for our lives, not being intimate with others.” 

Qrow made a noise of agreement. He released his hands from Clover’s waist and scooted a bit back; the ace op quickly got the message and did the same. They stared at each other for a good moment, unsure of what to do. 

“Um...What now?”

“I...Think we should take things slow,” Clover proposed. “See what we want to do, or how we feel. We don’t even have to put a title on it. We could just… do stupid things, go on dates, and see how it goes.” The offer was extremely tempting, and it made Qrow feel a lot better that Clover was the one saying it instead of him. 

“We don’t have to tell anyone?”

“Nobody needs to know,” Clover assured, reaching over and gently taking Qrow’s hand. “It can just be us. Or...we could, if you prefer that. I don’t mind either way.”

“Are you sure?” Qrow asked, his thumb drawing circles on the back of Clover’s hand. “I don’t want to lead you on...What if things don’t work out? What if I realize I don’t feel this way? Or vise versa?” 

“That’s okay.” Clover replied, his tone only betraying a hint of the sadness he felt at the thought. He focused his gaze on their hands as he spoke. “I want you to figure yourself out before anything else. You should figure out what makes you happy...What you want to do with your life, and how you want to do it. Who you want to do it with. And I’ll be here for you, every step of the way, whether that be as friends...or something more.” Qrow noted how he didn’t deny that _his_ feelings could change too. It was oddly reassuring, knowing that he wasn’t the only one feeling so complicated. 

Clover heard a small, shaky breath, and looked up to a Qrow that was very clearly trying not to get emotional. “Oh- I’m sorry. Did I...What did I say?” he asked, reaching over and wrapping his arms around the man. Qrow accepted his embrace, his head resting against the ace operative’s shoulder. He remained silent for a long time, but Clover didn’t push the question again.

“I don’t get it,” Qrow finally spoke quietly, his voice trembling. “I don’t understand how you … you can just say all of that. How can you be so willing to be there for me when you know nothing about me? You know nothing of who I am, what I’ve been through, and what my past is like...and yet, you...you’re here...How can you...How can you be such a good person?” 

“I wouldn’t say that,” Clover hummed in disagreement. “I might not know everything about you, but I think I have a good start. I’ve seen the way you are with the kids. The way that you care so much about them, and the way that you would do just about anything to make them happy...They’re the reason you stopped drinking, right?” 

Qrow gave a quiet noise of affirmation. “Ruby, actually… she’s what made me see the damage I was doing. Not just damage to myself, but damage to those around me...Although the rest of the kids are the reason I’m able to stay away. It’s hard, but...” 

Clover nodded. “That alone speaks volumes. The fact that you’re so willing to change for the better for them, even though you know it won’t be easy. And you might fuck up sometimes, but you don’t let that stop you. You’re trying to be a good role model for them. A good _person._ ” 

“I may not know the man you used to be...or the things that you’ve gone through…but I do know the man in front of me. I know who you are _now_ . And honestly?” He pulled away just enough from Qrow so he could make eye contact. “I like what I see. I like it a _lot_.” 

Qrow opened his mouth to say something- a thank you, of sorts- when he felt his scroll buzz in his pocket. He was particularly awful at expressing gratitude, so he gladly took the opportunity to avoid further embarrassment. However, he regretted it as he read a message from Yang:

_Hope you’re having fun_

_You don’t have to thank me_

_But you know… I wouldn’t say no to a new motorcycle._

Qrow snorted, and shoved the scroll in Clover’s face. “Christ. She butts into my personal business and suddenly thinks she can have whatever she wants.”

“Maybe you should. She’s the reasons your in my arms now, right?”

Qrow turned crimson and immediately separated himself from Clover, scooting to the other side of the couch in defiance. “No. She definitely is _not_. I could have gotten there all by myself, thank you.” 

“Oh?” Clover quirked an eyebrow. “You would have come up to me all on your own? After what, maybe three months at best?”

Qrow crossed his arms over his chest. “It still counts. She just...sped up the process. It’s not like _you_ tried to talk to me, either.” He pointed out before he remembered the texts he had received from the alpha. “Er. Not in person.” 

“I _tried._ ” Clover put a hand behind his head. “But everytime I proposed we went on a mission together, you shot it down and insisted you go with someone else. Don’t think I already forgot how you said you wanted to go on a mission with _Winter_.”

Qrow winced at that. Not one of his proudest moments, that’s for sure. She had spent the majority of the time criticizing his fighting style as if she were giving a movie critique. “Your form is all wrong” this and “You have the caution of a five year old” that. Because apparently he had “no regard” for his “personal safety”. 

“Brothers, please never bring that up again. I’ve almost taken up drinking again just so I can forget that mission. I swear on Harbinger that it will never happen again.” 

“Good.” Clover hummed, pleased with himself. He dropped the topic entirely, and instead looked around the room in mild boredom. “Then...What do you want to do now?”

“I...should probably leave,” Qrow’s eyes flickered to the door. “Your lackeys are bound to be home any minute, aren’t they?”

“I don’t see why you would have to leave. You’ve been here plenty of times before, as a friend. I don’t think they’d suspect anything.” Clover reasoned, and Qrow gave him a doubtful look. 

“Maybe. But that would require you to stop eye-fucking me.” 

“You see, I would, but _that_ would require you to stop being so handsome.” 

Qrow rolled his eyes. “Right. That’s not happening. So I should go.” 

“Well…” Clover pouted as he realized the hole he dug himself into. Damn, Qrow knew how to manipulate a conversation. “We...Could go in my room,” He slowly proposed, and Qrow gave him a surprised look. He had been in this apartment countless times, but this was the first time that Clover invited him into his bedroom. 

“We don’t have to do anything,” Clover clarified quickly. “Not...not like that, I mean. We could just… I dunno. Hang out. Watch a movie. Have an existential crisis. The usual.” 

“Clover, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re just trying to get my clothes off. How’d you know I sleep naked?”

Clover felt his face heat up, but one look at Qrow told him that he was just messing with him. “Hm. If I wanted that, I would have let you continue earlier, pretty bird.” He replied coolly, getting up from the couch and walking out of the living room. He stopped as he was about to turn into the hallway, and gave Qrow a teasing look. “Are you coming?”

Qrow had never gotten up so fast in his life. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And not in *that* way, dear readers. We're not horny on main yet. 
> 
> Sorry that it took so long! This chapter went through a lot of editing and revising. Plus I spent three hours trying to learn how to play poker before giving up and mostly skipping over it. So yay! 
> 
> This initially was going to be a bit longer, but I wanted to get this out sooner rather than later since it was already late. Next chapter is going to be fun though, I can guarantee that. Just maybe not for our grumpy bird man. 
> 
> Thanks to IncorrectFairgame on tumblr for that one line! [he apparently had "no regard" for his "personal safety"]. I saw it and I just couldn't NOT use it somewhere. :^)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow and Clover watch disney movies, get caught by the ace ops, and Yang asks for a small favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It's a few hours early but I realized that I wouldn't have the time to post it when I originally intended, so here it is! It's a bit shorter than usual [and admittedly, a bit more poorly written], but I wanted to get it out on time. That, and I'm currently working on a different fic idea for these two, so I wanted to get this done ASAP so I could work on it. Regardless, I hope it's enjoyable!

Qrow woke up to a feeling of warmth. 

Strong arms were wrapped around his torso, and he could feel Clover’s steady breathing on his neck. Their legs were tangled in a mess of limbs that was a bit uncomfortable, but Qrow couldn’t find it in himself to pull away. He did however, have the decency to reach over and smack Clover’s pesky alarm into submission. With his luck, the device fell off the bedside table with a loud crash, waking up Qrow’s cuddle buddy.

“Mm?” 

“Mornin’, sleepy head.” Qrow greeted, retreating from the ace operative just enough to flip over and face him. “Your alarm is awfully annoying.” 

“Isn’t that the point?” Clover asked groggily, sitting up and attempting to rub the exhaustion from his eyes. He looked over at Qrow, and then down at himself, and realized both of them lacked shirts. His mind flared with alarm, worrying that they had taken things too far, before remembering what had actually happened. 

The two had stayed up for some time, watching a collection of Disney movies and horribly critiquing them. Qrow had thrown his hands up barely into Tangled, complaining about the lack of security in the royal fucking castle. “Did someone REALLY not notice an old hag climbing a WALL? Or JUMPING OUT THE WINDOW WITH A BABY?”

“...Maybe it was magic?”

“It’s lazy writing, that’s what it is.” Qrow huffed. He had begrudgingly remained silent until Flynn Ryder himself showed his face on the screen. He had taken a strong dislike to the man immediately, claiming that he was nothing but an idiotic, handsome bastard man. 

“Sounds like someone I know…” 

“Puh-lease. I’m way sexier than that man will ever be.” As if to prove his point, he pushed his hair back and leaned in towards Clover. He shifted his weight on his arm and gave the ace operative exaggerated bedroom eyes. “Allow me to present... _ The Smolder _ .” 

Clover tried his best not to laugh, but ultimately failed as he pushed Qrow’s face away. “Okay, okay. You  _ are _ a lot more attractive. But save that look until  _ after _ our third date, please.”

Qrow’s seductive facade broke as he turned crimson. He turned away, suddenly having a great interest in the film. It didn’t help that Clover then leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

After another movie or two, they decided to call it quits. They were sure to be busy tomorrow, and being sleep deprived wasn’t going to help either of them. Qrow watched as Clover removed his shirt, claiming that it was simply more comfortable. He called bullshit on that, yet as his eyes raked down Clover’s body, he couldn’t find it in himself to complain. He had seen his chest before, but this time it was different...This time, he didn’t have to stare from a distance. 

“Hey.” Clover snapped his fingers in front of Qrow, jolting him away from his thoughts. “You gonna stare at me all night, or are we going to get some sleep?”

“Oh. Right.” Qrow coughed awkwardly. “Sorry. You just...uh…” Clover felt his eyes on his torso yet again. “That shirt looks so much better on your floor.”

Clover chuckled. “I bet it does...Why don’t we see how yours looks on it too?”

Qrow’s shirt joined Clover’s in seconds. 

It was the ace operative’s turn to admire the sight in front of him. His chest and stomach were littered with scars, some bigger, and others smaller. He felt the urge to reach over and trace them with his fingers. Memorize them, learn their stories. Unlike Qrow however, he managed to restrain himself and  _ only _ stared for five seconds. “Hm. If I had to give it a rating… A solid seven. Not the greatest, but definitely above average.” he feigned a look of indifference, to which Qrow gave him a playful shove for. “I’m  _ kidding _ , pretty bird. Your body is the best I’ve seen, with or without clothes.”

“Then  _ clearly _ you haven’t been looking in the mirror lately.” The shapeshifter retorted. Clover rolled his eyes and pat the spot on the bed next to him, motioning for Qrow to join him.

“What did I say about deflecting compliments?” Clover gave him a pointed look as he climbed into bed. “I thought we went over this already.”

“I’m not ‘deflecting a compliment’.” Qrow corrected. “I’m just stating facts. Your body is millions times better than mine will ev--mmph!”

The man was quickly silenced by Clover’s lips. He was taken aback for a moment, but quickly kissed back with enthusiasm, moving his hands to the ace operative’s waist and pulling him closer. Clover pulled away to catch his breath, but Qrow was quick to capture his lips yet again, this time more aggressive. 

Qrow bit gently on Clover’s lower lip, eliciting a low groan from the ace operative, and taking the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Clover’s hands got lost in ebony hair, tugging gently on it as Qrow’s lips left his. Before the shapeshifter could do more however, Clover took the initiative and climbed on top of him, leaning downward to plant a trail of kisses along his neck. The man below him let out a small moan, tugging again on his hips, wanting more contact- no,  _ needing _ more contact. 

“Ah-ah,” Clover gently scolded, grabbing the wrist of one of Qrow’s hands as it travelled further down. “We’re taking things slow, remember?”

“This sure doesn’t seem like taking it slow to me,” Qrow panted. “You’re sitting right on my-”

“I wasn’t planning on having a makeout session, mind you.” Clover interrupted, feeling his face heat up as Qrow pointed out the position they were in. He quickly got off of him, a bit embarrassed that he had let himself get caught up in the moment. “Maybe if you didn’t say such stupid things, I wouldn’t have to resort to shutting you up.” 

“Well then, maybe I should say them more often.”

Clover gave him a pointed look.

“Sorry,” Qrow grumbled, shifting away from Clover. “I’m not used to this. To...having feelings, I guess. I’m used to one night stands and using people to distract myself from my problems. I’ve never…” he paused. “...Taken things slow.”

“I don’t want to be one of your distractions, Qrow.” Clover spoke softly, but his voice was firm. “I’m not asking you to make any commitments. I know you’re not ready for that kind of thing, and neither am I… But I won’t be someone you use to blow off steam. I can’t let you do that. I can’t do that to myself. I deserve better than that-  _ you _ deserve better than that.” 

“You’re not!” Qrow blurted, waving his hands in front of him frantically. “Really. And I don’t want you to be,” He admitted slowly. “You’re...so much different than everyone else. I...I don’t know what this feeling is, but I...Hell, you do things to me, Cloves.” He took Clover’s hand and placed it on his chest, allowing him to feel how it was racing a million miles per hour. “And I don’t know if I like it. You make me feel so  _ good _ \- I practically feel like I’m walking on clouds when I’m around you. But it’s  _ terrifying _ . I’m not...used to feeling weak.” 

Clover’s heart was doing flips in his chest, but he forced himself to focus. “I get it. Like I said earlier...being vulnerable is scary, and it’s not easy to accept it. But I promise I won’t take advantage of it-”

“But what if someone else does?” Qrow mumbled. “What if something happens to you because of me?”

“I won’t let it.” Clover assured. “You forget I’m the leader of the ace ops, Qrow. I’m more than capable of defending myself. And so are you,” he moved his hand from Qrow’s chest, settling it on his cheek. “We risk our lives every single day as huntsmen. We signed up for this, and we’re always going to live with that. And being in a relationship might be risky but...that’s why we’re not committing to anything yet. We have time to figure ourselves out, Qrow. And lots of it.” 

“Give me a time limit,”

“What?”

“You heard me. Give me a deadline.” Qrow spoke quickly, getting the words out before he could stop himself. “A time that...I have to have my feelings figured out, you know? Uh-”

“No.” Clover shook his head and drew his hand away. “I can’t do that. That wouldn’t feel right. I don’t want you to be pressured, and these kinds of things take time-”

“Fine! Then a check-up date.” He insisted. “Where we just uh, check with each other, see how we feel, and what we want to do. If we don’t have things figured out yet, then we don’t have things figured out. But I- I need something. Or else I’ll keep running away from my feelings. I’ll never take the time to think about them if I’m never forced to face them.” 

Clover pursed his lips, and Qrow could tell that he wasn’t exactly liking the idea. But he slowly let out a sigh and nodded. “Alright. If that’s what you need...What about a month from now?”

“No. That’s too far.” 

“...Two weeks?” 

Two weeks. He could do that. Two weeks was plenty of time to think. And he always had more time after that if he was unsure...

“Okay. I can do that.” 

“...Are you sure about this?” Clover asked hesitantly. “I don’t want you to-”

“Yes. I’m sure,” Qrow put a finger on Clover’s lips to silence him. “I wouldn’t have asked you to otherwise. I know how I am...and I don’t want to keep you waiting for an answer forever. And I don’t want to wait forever for an answer forever, either.” 

“...Okay.” 

That’s right. 

Clover Ebi had two weeks to figure things out.

He could work with that.

“Clooover?” 

Qrow’s voice jolted the ace operative out of his thoughts, and he was quickly put back into the present. The shapeshifter looked rather irritated, and Clover gave an apologetic look. “Sorry. I was just thinking. What did you say?”

“I was saying that I should probably leave.” Qrow repeated. “You know, before your teammates get up and uh...see me leave. I don’t want them to think…” he trailed off, and Clover nodded, still too tired to really process what he was saying. 

With that, Qrow snaked his way out of bed, reaching down to the floor and pulling a shirt over himself. Clover glanced at the time as Qrow opened the door, and the realization hit him. “Qrow- wait! They’re-”

But it was too late. 

Qrow was already out the door, with four pairs of eyes staring directly at him.

“...Already up by now…” Clover finished with a sigh. 

_______________________________

So much for things remaining a secret. 

“Uh… H...Hey…” Qrow greeted awkwardly. “Uh, if you don’t mind me, I’m just leaving-”

“It  _ finally happened _ !” Elm squealed, abandoning her breakfast to practically break Qrow’s spine with a pat on the back. “Brothers, you sure took your time. I was about to hunt you down yourself, you know!”

“Jesus, Elm. Give him a break. He just got here.” Harriet rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair to prop her feet on the table. Vine gave her a pointed look but she merely stuck out her tongue in response. “You’re going to scare him away, and then he’ll be gone for another week.” 

“Uh- What do you mean? What finally happened?” Qrow asked, dumbfounded. 

“You two got together, obviously.” Marrow scoffed. “Although I thought Clover would have refrained from taking you to bed so soon. You must be something special.” 

“I agree. I thought Clover’s rationale was higher than this…” Vine murmured quietly. “He must have taken quite a liking to you.”

“W-What?!” Qrow’s eyebrows shot up, his face flushing. “We- We’re not together! And he did  _ not _ take me to bed- we didn’t-” 

“Oh, really?’ Harriet raised an eyebrow, and gestured to his torso. “Then why are you wearing his shirt, lover boy?” 

Qrow’s eyes quickly flickered downward, and surely enough, Clover’s undershirt sat comfortably on his chest. He turned crimson, and opened his mouth to give an excuse, but ended up turning around and slamming Clover’s door.

A loud fit of laughter could be heard coming from the room, along with a large collection of curses and insults. Marrow could have sworn he heard something along the lines of “WHY THE FUCK DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?!”, and he barely managed to contain his own laughter. After a bit more screaming, Qrow opened the door back up and exited, now in his own shirt, and with Clover on his heels. 

“Christ. I can’t believe that just- I’m leaving. I can’t-” Qrow threw up his hands in exasperation. “I need to get out of here before I humiliate myself further.” 

“Qrow, wait- it’s okay we just-” Clover tried to stop him, but he couldn’t stop laughing for the life of him. He leaned on the kitchen counter for support, desperately trying to calm himself. Qrow gave him an angry look as he left the apartment, which sent the ace operative into another fit of giggles. 

When he finally collected himself, his teammates were staring at him expectantly. 

“Oh. Right. You guys probably want an explanation, don’t you?”

“That would be preferable,” Vine replied coolly. “However, it is your personal business, so do not feel inclined to share.”

“Fuck that!” Harriet shot up, zipping over to Clover. “You better tell us what the fuck happened! I didn’t just deal with your distracted mess for a week and see... _ whatever that was _ just for you to keep your mouth shut.” 

“We’re his  _ teammates _ , Harriet. Not his friends.” Marrow pointed out. “We have a strictly professional relationship, and he doesn’t  _ have _ to tell us anything.” 

“...Marrow’s right,” Elm reluctantly agreed. “We don’t get involved with each others personal lives unless it’s directly affecting us…”

“Well, seeing as how Clover hasn’t been able to perform his best for the last week because of that bastard, I believe that  _ is _ directly affecting us. He hasn’t been much of a leader.” Harriet hummed, and Clover winced at her comment. “It’s clearly been bothering him. I think he should talk it out.”

“Clover doesn’t-”

“Enough already,” Clover interrupted, giving them all a pointed look. “The fact of the matter is, it  _ is _ my personal business, and I won’t share it. More so for Qrow’s privacy than mine.” he clarified. “However, I will say that we are  _ not _ together-” he watched Elm practically deflate at that. “-and we  _ did not _ do anything last night. We simply watched a few movies and went to bed. And none of you will be discussing this morning’s incident with anyone. Do you understand?”

The rest of the ace operatives nodded, some more reluctantly than others. 

“Great. Now, I need a coffee.” He sighed. “Hurry up and finish your guys’ meals. We have a briefing to get to.” 

_______________________________

For a briefing, it sure wasn’t brief. 

Qrow sat there, barely listening to what Ironwood was droning on about. Another complaint about Jaques, he was sure. Clover soon took over for the general and went right into assigning people to their missions for the day. Despite being angry at the ace operative, he couldn’t help but be mesmerized by his movements. He noticed how he moved a lot more freely than he had in the last week, his shoulders relaxed and his expression at ease. Well, at least  _ one  _ of them got a kick out of this morning.

He couldn’t believe that Clover had just  _ laughed _ at him. Well, okay, he wasn’t all that upset. It  _ was _ funny, but he wasn’t going to forgive the ace operative so easily. He had his pride to protect, afterall. His eyes flickered over to the other four ace ops, wondering if Clover told them what had happened. He tried to read their faces for any sign of it, but he learned nothing.

“Qrow!” 

Clover’s voice snapped him back to reality, and he straightened up, looking up at him. 

“Huh?”

“You, Yang, and Blake will be patrolling Mantle. Make sure nothing goes on, and deal with things should they happen. Prepare for Grimm, but keep your hopes up.” 

“Sure,” Qrow grumbled. He didn’t show it, but he was a bit disappointed that he wasn’t going to be with Clover. Instead, he got to third wheel while his niece flirted up a storm with her cat girlfriend. Great. 

Clover tapped his fingers in front of Qrow, getting his attention yet again. “I need you to stay for a minute after the briefing. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

The shapeshifter tilted his head in confusion, but the leader of the ace ops was already walking away to assign missions to others. He couldn’t think of what they needed to talk about. Didn’t they just spend most of last night doing just that? What could be so important?

After what seemed like an eternity, the briefing was over, and everyone filed out of the room. Qrow remained in his seat, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for Clover. As his luck would have it, Winter had  _ insisted _ that she talk to him. He caught the ace operative’s eye, and he gave an apologetic look. 

Just as Qrow was about to get up and leave, Clover cut her off, explaining how he had  _ urgent _ matters to discuss with Qrow before he left for his mission. She glanced at him, giving him a hard glare, before excusing herself. 

“Thank fuck. I never thought she’d leave.”

“Yeah. Sorry that took so long...You know how she is,” Clover chuckled, putting a hand behind his head. Qrow looked away from him with his arms crossed across his chest, refusing him to give him much attention. “Are you still mad about this morning?”

“Of course I am! I humiliated myself in front of your entire team and you just  _ laughed _ .” 

“In my defense, I tried to warn you. But you left without hearing me out...besides, you’re the one who hit me with a pillow.  _ Repeatedly _ .” 

“I’m not seeing your point.” Qrow huffed. “You deserved it.” 

“Only a little,” Clover grinned, earning a playful shove from Qrow. “Okay, okay! I’m sorry for laughing at you, pretty bird.” 

Qrow squinted at him, evaluating the truth in his words, before rolling his eyes. “You’re forgiven. Now, what did you need to discuss with me, boy scout?”

“Ah, right,” Clover suddenly looked nervous, and it reflected back on Qrow. What had happened? Should  _ he _ be anxious? Did something go wrong? Did something happen to Ruby?

“I was wondering...uh...if you’re not doing anything after your mission today…If you would like to hang out?” The ace operative asked slowly, a pink tint in his cheeks. Qrow relaxed, and nearly laughed at how wound up he was over such a silly question. 

“Sure. What’s the occasion?”

“I mean...I figured, if we’re going to be figuring this out, we uh...should go on dates, yeah?”

Oh.  _ That’s _ what he meant. 

“Oh- uh- yeah. Yeah, I- I guess we could? I mean should.” Qrow stammered. A  _ date with Clover _ ? He wasn’t sure why he felt anxiety bubbling up inside him. He just had a make-out session with him two hours ago. He ducked his head, hoping to hide it. “Yeah. That uh. That would be...cool.” 

“Great. I’ll...meet you outside of your room at seven?”

“That should be fine.”

Clover nodded, giving the man an awkward smile. “Right. Okay. Uh. We should probably get going before our teammates yell at us…”

“Right.”

“Right.”

God, why was this so awkward?

_______________________________

“Soooo? What was that about?”

Qrow nearly jumped out of his clothes as Yang bombarded him the moment he walked on the airship. He lightly flicked her forehead and sat down. “He just wanted to ask me a few questions. Nothing important.”

“Hm.” Yang didn’t seem to believe him, but didn’t push the question. Instead, she asked: “How was last night? Did things get...y'know... _ steamy _ ?”

“For fucks sake, Yang, they did  _ not _ get steamy.” Qrow glared at her. “In fact, nothing of the sort happened. We just  _ talked _ . That’s it.”

“Really?!”

“Yes, Yang. Really.”

“Well??? What did he say?” Yang leaned forward, pressing for any details she could get. “He wasn’t mad, was he?”

“Well, no-”

“HAH. I knew it. You didn’t have  _ anything _ to be afraid of.”

She was wrong in a million different ways. Sure, he wasn’t avoiding Clover anymore, but his anxiety never left. If anything, he was more scared than he was before. But he wasn’t about to admit that, or explain it to Yang. He didn’t want to tell anyone only for their relationship to fall through in two weeks. His nieces deserved a stable role model to look up to- at least, someone who  _ appeared _ to be stable. 

“Dunno why you had to get involved, though. I thought I was handling it perfectly fine.”

“You were  _ not _ .” Yang insisted immediately. “You were so… depressed! And Clover! He was just so. Sad. You guys were both very sad. And I tried giving you time to take care of it yourself, but then you didn’t do anything, and so I knew I had to give you that little shove, you know? I didn’t tell Ruby anything...I just told her to get you over to Clover no matter what. I knew the rest would unfold itself, since Clover is...Clover.” 

Qrow huffed, and hated that she was right. If she hadn’t done anything, he would likely still be ignoring the ace operative, and he wouldn’t have … Well, he wouldn’t have had a date to worry about, that’s for sure. 

“...Right. Anyway, what are you doing tomorrow? Around five p.m?”

“Uh, I dunno, mission stuff, maybe?” Yang shrugged. “Why?”

“You have an appointment with Pierto.” Qrow announced smugly. “You’re a real brat, you know, butting into my business...but since things more or less worked out, you’re getting a motorcycle. Pierto wants to meet up with you to discuss details and potential upgrades.” 

Yang stared at him, her eyes wide like saucers. “Uh. Woah. When I texted you that, I didn’t actually expect- I mean- I’m not complaining, but-” She grinned. “Wow. You really must’ve had a good time last night.”

“Tch. Sure.” Qrow crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re lucky. I wasn’t going to, but Clover managed to convince me otherwise. If there’s anyone you should be thanking, it’s him.”

“Well...Thank you anyway!” Yang wrapped her arms around him, and he reluctantly returned the hug with one arm. She pulled away, concern suddenly written all over her face. “Ah. Wait. There’s...one thing I wanted to ask of you, though.”

“Come on, kid. I just bought you another motorcycle. What more do ya’ want?”

“Um…” Yang put a hand behind her head, averting her eyes. “Blake kind of found out that I set you and Clover up...because of Ruby’s big mouth. And needless to say, she’s  _ pissed _ . She won’t even talk to me.” Her eyes intently studied her boots. “She told Weiss to tell me that, and I quote, ‘She won’t talk to me until Qrow says that my interference was necessary and justified’.” She sighed. 

“And it really sucks! I was so close, Qrow! I mean- I had this whole plan, and I was gonna, you know, uh, ask her to uh, get dinner or something. And I blew it.” She fiddled with her hair, and Qrow chuckled at her embarrassment. “I’m glad you’re happy, I really am, and I don’t regret what I did. But you know...if you could...well...talk to her...” She looked back up at him with a hopeful look. “...Then maybe I won’t have to cancel my reservation tonight?”

“You made a  _ reservation _ ? Yang Xiao Long herself? Since when do you plan so far ahead?” Qrow snorted. “She must be something...You really like her, don’t you?”

“...Yeah,” Yang admitted slowly. “She’s great. Really great. I just hope I’m enough for her.”

“I think she likes you too, kiddo.” Qrow reached up to ruffle her hair playfully. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’ve seen the way she looks at you and how she acts around you. I’ll see what I can do about your current predicament...although the ‘necessary’ part might be a bit of a stretch.” He was starting to sound like Clover. God, he was really rubbing off on him, wasn’t he? 

Yang practically beamed, and if she had a tail, Qrow was sure it would be wagging at a million miles per hour. She opened her mouth to say more, but Blake joined them in the airship, and she forced her mouth shut. She thanked him with her eyes however, and Qrow gave a small nod in return.

He would deal with Blake later. For now, he had an entire ride to Mantle to think...And naturally, his thoughts shifted to how on Remnant he was going to survive his date tonight.

_ I’m fucked, aren’t I _ ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And perhaps in more ways than one. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! I have no idea when the next chapter will be out since my attention is now divided between exams and this other fic of mine. I'll try my best to get it out within a reasonable amount of time, though.


End file.
